My Inspiration
by a1tymdiva
Summary: 5th yr. Her outside looks have changed drastically within the past two months, but the water reflected the true Hermione. Inside, she is still the same person or so it seems… Harry/Hermione, Draco/Hermione, Ron/Hermione .. u decide! RnR~!


**My Inspiration**

By: a1tymdiva 

And you don't seem to understand

A shame you seemed an honest man

And all the fears you hold so dear

Will turn to whisper in your ear

And you know what they say might hurt you

And you know that it means so much

And you don't even feel a thing…

**Chapter 1: Duvet **

The sun is slowly beginning to set over the lake. She took a glance at my reflection in the water. Her outside looks have changed drastically within the past two months, but the water reflected the true Hermione. Inside, she is still the same person or so it seems…

"Hermione… are you all packed? We're going back to London in a few minutes." A figure emerged from behind the tree, overshadowing the lake. It was her father. The Granger family spent their summer holidays away from the city and went to Lake Windemere. They needed to get away from the hectic environment, and spend a few weeks away from the hustling and bustling of people and cars in the city of London.

 Hermione hurried to her room in the hotel, and grabbed her suitcase. She quietly walked down the stairs, and went in the van. Seeing as Hermione's parents had respectable careers, the Granger family was able to afford all the luxuries in life, including her tuition to a highly distinguished establishment called Hogwarts, school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Grangers were reluctant to send her to that school when they received a letter from the Deputy Headmistress, stating that their only daughter was a witch. But nevertheless, their dearest daughter, Hermione was able to persuade them to let her attend Hogwarts. 

Hermione fell asleep in the car. 

_Ron was staring at Hermione as though suddenly seeing her in a whole new light._

_"Hermione, Neville's right - you are a girl . . .."_

_"Oh well spotted," she said acidly._

_"Well - you can come with one of us!"_

_"No, I can't," snapped Hermione._

_"Oh come on," he said impatiently, "we need partners, we're going to look really stupid if we haven't got any, and everyone else has . . ."_

_"I can't come with you," said Hermione, now blushing, "because I'm already going with someone."_

_"No, you're not!"  Said Ron. "You just said that to get rid of Neville!"_

_"Oh did I?" said Hermione, and her eyes flashed dangerously.  "Just because it's taken you three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one else has spotted I'm a girl!"_

_Ron stared at her. Then he grinned again._

_"Okay, okay, we know you're a girl," he said.  "That'll do?  Will you come now?"_

_"I've already told you!"  Hermione said very angrily.  "I'm going with someone else!"_

_* * *_

_'Why doesn't he believe me?' Hermione looked at herself in the mirror. She seemed distraught. Months have passed since the Yule Ball, and Hermione arrived at her home in London. Although Hermione is a very bright girl, she is very self-conscious of herself. 'Doesn't anyone else, aside from Viktor, notice that I'm a girl?' Hermione grabbed the nearest cap, and rushed downstairs. _

_"Mom, I need a haircut." _

_"Sure, dear. I'll take you there after breakfast." Mrs. Granger smiled at her daughter, and placed some bread in the toaster. "So… what's the special occasion? Do you have a crush on someone in your school?" She grinned at her daughter._

_She choked. "Of course, not. I haven't the time to think about boys when all my attention is getting good grades." Hermione walked over to the toaster, and grabbed the bread. "You know me better than that, mother. Boys are merely a distraction."_

_"That's what I said to my mother, and look how I turned out. Married to your wonderful father, and I also have a wonderful daughter. You'll change your mind about this someday, my dear little Hermione." She pinched her daughter's cheek, and hurried to the door. "C'mon Hermione, the salon awaits. I can't wait to see your new look," she squealed. It was quite out of the ordinary for a grown woman to act this way, however, due to special circumstances, this behaviour seemed appropriate. _

_An hour later, Hermione came out with straight hair. It was an amazing accomplishment for the muggle world. A solution to frizzy hair, made by a muggle! Even cauldrons of Sleekeazy's hair potion couldn't compare to the result Hermione has now. Hermione grabbed a lot of attention with her now-straight hair. Muggle boys walking across the street gaped at her. _

"Hermione… Hermione…wake up, we're home." Her mother continuously poked her daughter. 

Hermione blinked. "Thanks, mum." She reached for her suitcase, and trudged up the stairs of the Granger house. She plopped down onto her bed and reached for the phone. She was very distracted by her dream that she forgot. She dialled the Dursley's phone number. Indeed, she forgot that Harry had already gone to the Weasleys. 

"Hullo. May I speak to Harry, please?" 

A gruff voice answered the phone. "There is NO Harry Potter," and rudely hung up on Hermione. 

She sighed. Hermione got up, and walked down the stairs. "Will we be getting my supplies tomorrow?" She stood at the edge of the stairs, waiting for their answer. 

"Sure."

The following day, Hermione arrived at Diagon Alley. This time, her parents didn't accompany her through the barrier. Although, the wizarding world pleases the Grangers, Hermione thought it was best that her parents stayed away from the wizarding world. There has been a lot of Dark activity lately, and Hermione feared that there could be Death eaters amongst the people shopping today at Diagon Alley. She wouldn't want her parents dead before her eighteenth birthday, not that she wanted them dead anyway.  

She entered the barrier, and looked around Diagon Alley. She smiled at the familiar surroundings. 'Sometimes the wizarding world seems more like home than my actual home…' she thought as she headed for Flourish and Blotts. She picked out all the books required that year, and noticed a crowd of students from Hogwarts surrounding another student, she soon recognizes, as Draco Malfoy. A pack of Slytherins is not something she would want to get near but she couldn't help herself. Another part of her transformation is her personality. "Oh, if it isn't the amazing bouncing ferret." 

The boy standing at the middle of the crowd stared back at her, and raised his right brow. "Do I know you?" 

She guffawed. "Four years of torturing me, and yet, you cannot recognize me?" She looked at him, trying to see what the commotion was about. "I see you've finally gone to dork-side. And gotten the dork mark."

"Mudblood…?" 

"Oh don't be so surprised. Four years of being subservient to the oh-so-amazing Harry Potter and his little sidekick Ron, you would think I would be _glad_? It was a matter of time I needed some changes in my life, my appearance, my personality, and whatnot." She tightened her grasp on her bag filled with books. "I am not easily hurt by your bigotry any longer." 

"Ooh, the mudblood's got a backbone now, eh? I'd be careful if I were you. The dork mark, as you eloquently put it, gives me power over you now, not that you, a mudblood, ever had any power over me for the past four years." He lowered his sleeve, and walked towards Hermione. His hands grabbed her shoulders tightly, and looked into her eyes with malice. "I'd lower your voice too. We have spies everywhere. If they ever heard someone threatening their Lord's potential heir…" His voice turned to a faint whisper. "You wouldn't want to be their next victim, now would you?" He released his grasp, and walked towards the door. In a matter of seconds, Flourish and Blotts was as empty as it was before.

Hermione headed out the door where she bumped into Harry and Ron.

"What was that about? I just saw the bloody git and his little gang of Slytherins walk out of Flourish and Blotts. That stupid git seemed upset. Did you say something to him?" Ron asked. 

"Oh I'm so glad! At least, you and Harry recognize me." Hermione smiled, and hugged her two best friends. 

"Actually, who are you?" Harry pushed her away, and looked at her.

Hermione sighed. "I see… you don't even recognize me? All along, I thought you were my best friends. I guess I'll always be known as 'The girl who _was _friends with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.' Or 'The girl who dated Viktor Krum'." Hermione fought back the temptation to punch them both. She knew better than that. 

"Hermione…? I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to." 

"Of course, only now does Ron Weasley notice that I'm a girl, when I have straightened my hair and done some major adjustments in my life. I should've changed a long time ago, maybe then I wouldn't be someone's last resort to take to the ball." 

Harry looked at her in shock. "Hermione… we we're young then." He glanced at brunette in front of him. She was right. Only now does he realize that a beautiful girl was in front of him. He forgot about his _obsession_ over Cho Chang. She _was_ the most beautiful girl he's ever met but now, standing in front of him, his own best friend, the most beautiful girl in the world.  "Uh… what … caused… um… the sudden … c-ch-change?" 

"Why don't you put yourself in my shoes. Imagine, always being shadowed by Harry Potter and his not so famous yet somehow important sidekick, Ronald Weasley. Wouldn't you feel inadequate? But I cannot blame all this on you; Ron had a little part in it too. His disbelief caused me to think. Don't worry. This change is not a bad thing. I should be thanking you two. Unfortunately, I have better things to do than stand around while you two gawk at me." Hermione hurried to the barrier, and left without saying goodbye. 

"What's wrong with her?" Ron seemed puzzled at Hermione's change. 'Hmm… she must be on her period.' He laughed slightly which caused Harry to look at him. Ron opened the door to Flourish and Blotts and was able to buy new books this year due to his uncle's unfortunate death. He inherited a large quantity of muggle money.  Sickles, and more importantly, galleons! After purchasing the books, they headed towards Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. While deciding what flavour of ice cream to have, he asked. "Harry…"

"Hmm…? What's wrong?" 

"What do you feel about what Hermione said?" Ron caught sight of an interesting flavour and pointed to it. "Well…? She said that she feels that you're always in the spot light."

"Hmm…?" Harry seemed more distracted than Ron ever was in a History of Magic class. "To tell you the truth Ron, I wasn't quite paying attention to her words. I was too distracted by her new change. Isn't she pretty?"

Ron smiled as he got his bowl of ice cream, and nodded at Harry's comment. "That's true but do you think she would ever look at you as more than a friend? I mean, you said she is pretty, once she gets to school, all the other males will notice it too. So… why bother fantasizing about her? It's not like you're the one she'll ever choose." He stuffed a spoon of ice cream into his mouth, and licked the remains on his lips. Yum!

"So… you think the special one will be you?" Harry laughed.

Ron nodded. "Of course, 'tis me. Didn't you hear her? She seemed terribly upset that I hadn't asked her first for the Yule Ball." He grinned. 

"Right…" Harry replied as he continued to daydream…

The day finally arrived. It was time to return to Hogwarts. There were many first years along the train hugging their parents, some having a hard time trying to carry their trunks into the train, and some sat quietly inside. 

Hermione was one of the few who sat quietly inside. This year, she chose a different spot to sit in. This was not the usual place the trio would sit which suited Hermione quite perfectly. As she opened her trunk to fetch her cloak, something or more precise, someone was opening the compartment door. 

"Are you sure you're in the right compartment, mudblood?" Draco Malfoy sneered. 

"I don't want to waste my time on you. I'm not leaving!" Hermione glared at him, and draped her cloak around her. To her surprise, the boy sat across from her. "Aren't you afraid to be tainted by my mudblood germs?" 

"I would sacrifice anything to see you in more pain." Draco laughed. He grabbed his cloak, and wrapped it around his body. "You see… I know you want to be alone right now but with me here, it disturbs your quiet contemplation. You think you're so smart but I have the dark mark."

Hermione sighed. She ignored him the rest of the trip to Hogwarts, if only that was possible. Draco Malfoy tried everything to annoy her. He tapped on the window with his fingers, made weird sounds, and of course, the most horrifying thing known to man, he read outloud, Pansy's love letters that were given to him during the summer.  

"Could… you… stop…?"

"I know you're jealous… _you _want to be the one writing me these letters, eh? I'd give you a chance but seeing as you're a mudblood and a Gryffindor, and I am one of the potential heirs to the Dark Lord-"

"You mean the DORK Lord…"

"-I am far superior than you." He decided to put her out of her misery, and planned to leave the compartment. Before he stepped out, he walked to Hermione's side of the compartment, and leaned over her. He placed his lips on hers, despite the fact that it goes against all the Malfoy family code. "But maybe, the sorting hat has made a mistake. You'd do well in Slytherin." He walked towards the door, and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.

A/N: There is a reason for Hermione being OOC [out of character] and it'll be revealed why she is acting that way. I do not know what the SHIP [relationship] in this fanfic will be but it will involve one of those 3 male characters I have mentioned in the fanfic. 


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